Harleen Quinzel
by PJOHoOHG
Summary: The slow descent into madness...
1. Arkham Records

**Chapter 1: Arkham Records**

**Batman's POV**

I had seen the Batsignal over the GCPD, so I went there in the Batwing. I glided out of the Batwing and dropped in front of Gordon.

"What's the emergency?" I asked.

"Harley Quinn is on the loose again." Gordon said.

"Just Harley?" I questioned. "Not Joker? Or Poison Ivy?"

"Oddly, no." Gordon confirmed. "Poison Ivy is in her cell, and the Joker is in the middle of one of his therapy sessions. Why would she leave Arkham without the Joker or Poison Ivy?"

"Has anyone been hurt? Like guards or doctors?" I was curious.

"No. No one even knew she was gone until they saw that she wasn't in her cell. They checked the security footage, and it looks like she picked the lock on her cell before she narrowly avoided the guards and climbed over the gate." Gordon explained.

"Have you checked her records? Maybe one of her recent therapy sessions will show some changes in her behavior. You have access to that now, don't you?" I checked.

"Yes. Arkham sent the records over after they realized how common the breakouts were becoming." Gordon confirmed. "Maybe we should go check."

So I followed Gordon into the GCPD as he headed for his computer. He opened a file on the computer labeled _Arkham Records_. There were even more files within, mostly to do with supervillains, although there were some common criminals. Gordon opened the file on Harley Quinn. There was a slew of information. For not being considered high profile, she sure did have a lot of information. There were patient interview tapes from when she was still an intern at Arkham, as well as the ones from when she became a criminal herself. There were also scans of patient records and her personal journal entries.

"This is a lot of information." Gordon commented.

"Maybe they just wanted to know how a reliable psychiatric intern turned into a mentally ill criminal. And they just couldn't find a logical explanation." I suggested.

"There's always an explanation, logical or no. So they obviously haven't looked hard enough." Gordon shrugged.

"Hey Gordon! We got Quinn!" Branden yelled.

We went out to see Harley being detained by two officers as well as Branden.

"How did you catch her? Where was she?" Gordon questioned.

"She was heading for the hospital. One of the guys tased her." Branden smirked.

Harley was holding her leg in pain.

"Where did you tase her?" I asked.

"Her upper back." One of the officers answered.

"Why are you holding your leg?" I interrogated.

"Because Mistuh J stabbed my leg a couple of hours before I escaped. But the guards won't believe me because he was supposed to be in isolation at the time. So they think I did it to myself, and wanted to punish me by making me heal it naturally. I just wanted to get treated, so I escaped to go to the hospital." Harley winced.

"Show me the cut." I said.

She pulled the leg of her orange jump suit up as far as she could. A couple of inches above her knee was a creepy smiley face. The cuts looked pretty deep, and Harley doesn't have a tolerance for pain, aside from when the Joker gives her comparitively mild abuse. She wouldn't stab herself that way.

"Get her medical treatment. Then she goes back to prison." I stated.

"At least send me to Blackgate. I'd rather go there than Arkham." Harley muttered

The cops hauled her off to get medical treatment.

"That's a cruel form of punishment. They had no right to do that. She should've been treated." I said.

"We've got evidence, so maybe we'll have to take it up with whoever's above the idiots that made that decision." Gordon agreed. "I still want to look at Harley's files though. I'm interested in how she changed that much."

"Can you give me access to the files so I can review them? It would be helpful when I'm going after the high profile criminals." I asked.

"Sure. But how exactly?" Gordon questioned.

I pulled out a thumb drive. He shrugged and led me to his computer. I downloaded all the files into the thumb drive.

"I'm going to review the first tape." Gordon said.

I stuck around as Gordon played the tape labeled_ First Day_.

**Harley's POV (First Day)**

"Harleen Quinzel Personal Tape 1. It's 8:45p.m., and I just got home from my first day at Arkham Asylum. The other doctors were pretty nice, especially for people who spend their days with criminals. I met the administrator, Jeremiah Arkham. He seems a little strange, but you'd have to be strange to want to run an Asylum where your uncle went insane. I also met our political representative, Quincy Sharp. He seems powerhungry, but it probably wouldn't be best to judge a book by it's cover. It was also strange to meet Aaron Cash, a security guard who has a hook for a hand. One of the other guards, Zach Franklin, mentioned that Killer Croc ate Cash's hand. Then there was William North, who almost seemed OCD with the way he constantly looked around like something bad would happen. I guess you can't blame him, since he's head of security. Alyce Sinner was the weird one. I don't know what it is about her. I just know she's Mr. Arkham's right hand woman. And Frank Boles was a jerk. You had to be there. Dr. Young seemed pretty focused on her research, so I didn't get to know her. Dr. Leland let me sit in on her interview with Two-Face. It was weird to see him argue with himself, but it was interesting to hear the way he portrayed his crimes. It was lie he thought they had an element of glamour. All in all, it was a good first day. I finally dropped the Bensonhurst accent, I got an interesting new job, and I'm mildly respected. End of tape."


	2. Two-Face & Dr Crane

**Chapter 2: Two-Face & Dr. Crane**

**(A/N: At this point, consider everything to be what Batman and Gordon are reading/listening to in Harley's file.)**

**Harley's POV**

After about a month at the Asylum, they'd started letting me see patients without Dr. Leland. The first was Two-Face. They considered him less dangerous than most inmates, so they figured I could start with him.

"So your my new doctor?" Two-Face asked.

"Yes." I answered. "Is there anything you'd prefer to be called? For instance, Harvey or Two-Face?"

"Harvey please. No, Two-Face! No, Harvey. No, Two-Face! I really do want to be called Harvey." He argued with himself.

"Harvey it is." I agreed. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Yes. She wouldn't believe us!" He argued with himself again.

Maybe I should call the nice one Harvey, and the other one Two-Face. "I'm pretty open minded."

"I think Frank Boles is a traitor. I heard him say something about helping inmates hurt each other." He stated.

"I wouldn't doubt it. He probably turns a blind eye whenever inmates get into fights." I agreed. "But traitor's a strong word."

"Probably. Tattletale!" He argued with himself again. "Do you think I'm schizophrenic?"

"You could be. But for all I know, you're just thinking out loud. People fight with themselves in their heads all the time. It just isn't usually that heated." I shrugged.

"That's a nice perspective. But half of me constantly wants to kill people, so I'm still nuts." He pondered.

"Yeah, but all the best people are." I shrugged.

"You've met Jervis, haven't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked.

"Because he has an obsession with Alice in Wonderland, and that's one of the Mad Hatter's lines. I will never understand why Jervis tries to emulate the Mad Hatter." He sighed.

"What else do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Perhaps it's time to talk about the incident that made me the way I am." He shrugged.

No doctor's gotten Two-Face to talk about the incident. "Okay. Go."

He described how the acid that Sal Maroni got from ADA Fields was thrown onto his face. He didn't get descriptive about the pain, but he said it hurt. Physically _and_ emotionally.

"If I may ask, why did you suddenly decide to tell _me_ about the incident?" I asked.

"Because this felt more like a conversation than an interview. Leland tried to make it seem less like an interview, but she never quite succeeded." He sighed. "Because it was an interview! Even this was an interview!"

"I think we've discussed enough for today. Try not to argue with yourself too much." I pressed a button and two guards came in.

"Kind of hard without the coin to settle the arguments." He muttered.

That gave me an idea for our next session. As the two guards took him back to his cell, I saw someone who was strapped to a table being taken to the elevators.

"Who's that?" I asked as I approached a crowd of doctors.

"Jonathan Crane. He's a doctor that recently went insane. He calls himself Scarecrow now." Dr. Leland answered.

"How does a respectable doctor turn into a lunatic?" Dr. Young sighed. "He was working here too."

"What got him arrested?" I questioned.

"Something to do with killing college professors." Dr. Leland answered.

"And something called Fear Gas." Dr. Young added.

"Weird." I commented.

"Very. I have research to do, so I'll see you two later." Dr. Young walked off.

"So, how did your interview with Two-Face go?" Dr. Leland asked.

"He talked about the incident that burned his face." I said.

"Really? None of us could get him to do that." She looked surprised.

"He said I made it seem less like an interview." I shrugged.

"Can I see your notes?" She asked.

I handed them to her.

"Well, if it works, do it." She smiled.

I headed off to find William North.

"Hey William?" I found him.

"Yes?" He looked at me.

"Can we give Two-Face his coin back? I feel like he'd make more progress. He argues with himself constantly, and the coin apparently helps him settle the arguments with himself." I asked.

"I've noticed that. Maybe he can in a controlled environment like your office, but he can't be trusted with it in his cell. He makes some dangerous decisions with that thing." He shrugged.

"I could do that. So can you get me the coin?" I asked.

"Give me a minute." He said.

He disappeared down the hallway and reappeared with the coin in a bag five minutes later. "Here."

"Thanks." I smiled.

I put it in my pocket for later. Then I headed down the hallway and watched from the observation area as they took Scarecrow to his new cell. I also saw Batman accompanying them on their journey.

"He seems secure, I'm going to leave." Batman said.

You could hear what they said on the monitors that Mr. Arkham and Mr. Sharp would use. I watched as he walked out of the Asylum. I think a couple of female doctors said they thought he was attractive. I could see their point, but I didn't think he was as attractive as the portrayed him. Honestly, I'm all for hero work, but their costumes tend to make it look like they're wearing underwear on the outside of their pants.

"I want my coin!" Two-Face shouted on one of the monitors.

"Shut up." Cash looked like he'd heard it a million times.

I walked back towards my office. On the way, I ran into Boles.

"Hey Harleen, how about you and me step into your office for a little one-on-one?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"In your dreams." I walked past him and locked my office door behind me.


	3. The Joker

**Chapter 3: The Joker**

**(A/N: I know I'm using the conversation from _Arkham Origins_. I used it on purpose.)**

**Harley's POV**

I had just started another session with Two-Face. I brought the coin out of the bag.

"Here." I tossed him the coin.

"My coin!" He exclaimed.

"You're only allowed to have it while you're in my office." I smiled.

"Should we thank her?" He asked himself. "Flip the coin and we'll see."

He flipped the coin and it landed on the intact side.

"So?" I asked.

"Thanks." He kept flipping the coin.

Our session ended not long after. I was looking through some files when someone knocked on the door. They didn't wait for my answer.

"I'm sorry Dr. Quinzel, but we need a psychiatric evaluation, and the other doctors are either too busy or too scared." Cash opened the door.

"Why would they be scared?" I questioned.

He opened the door further to reveal a few other guards along with Batman standing next to the Joker, who was strapped to a table.

"Is it safe?" I asked.

"It's never really safe, but comparative to most times, it's safe." Cash answered honestly.

"You don't have to. We can just take him to his cell and wait for his usual doctor." Batman offered.

"I'll do it. Just make sure he's strapped to the table. I know what to do if I need you." I said.

The Joker is Arkham Asylum's most high profile patient. This is a good opportunity for me. Cash checked the straps to make sure they were tight and secure. Then they left the room.

"Welcome to Arkham Asylum. We're just going to do a quick psychological evaluation. Bad day, huh?" I noticed his bruises.

"Tell me something dear, have you ever had a really bad day?" He clenched his teeth.

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked.

"You of all people should know-There's nothing so cruel as memory. The pointy, bitey little thunderbolts. Unwanted party crashers, screamers through your synapses. Inescapable...unrelenting...not at all friendly. You can't even escape into madness! And then you meet someone who changes your life. And you feel that you don't even know who you are anymore. Isn't it funny how one little encounter can cleave off little pieces of your past, deform your memories and persona until you rethink your whole identity- and as you realize how foolish it all is-your laughter reverberates off the walls of your own emptiness." He rambled.

"Okay...I'm gonna need more specifics. How about we try some word association?" I suggested.

"That sounds...delightful." He grinned.

"Acceptance." I said.

"Now that's a little trite, isn't it?" He smirked.

"Look..I'm only doing this to help you. Let's try this again. Acceptance." I sighed.

"My favorite stage." He smiled.

"Fate." I read the list of words.

"You want to know something funny? I used to think of fate as evil- predetermined- not by some higher power, but by the rules of human nature. But tonight, that's all changed." He chuckled.

"What's changed?" I questioned.

" Have you ever had the feeling that your entire life has been building towards this one moment?" He pondered.

"Is that how you feel?" I asked.

"Well now, yes. Now I realize that all the battles, the bad days, the brutalities- it was all the hand of Fate at work." He answered.

"So now you see fate differently?" I was curious.

"Absolutely. Now I understand, there are no chance encounters. It was all meant to be. Everything leading up to who I've met tonight!" He was enthusiastic.

"So you've met someone special?" I asked.

"Yes. And you might say it's changed everything." He said.

"Everything?" I questioned.

"Absolutely! I mean, do you realize what a vile world we live in? How lonely it is to wade through all the wretch and filth on your own?" He asked.

"It is kind of lonely, isn't it?" I agreed.

"Of course. Of course! You understand! Even in the crowd of other screwballs, you're so alone that you can kick, claw, yell, scream at the top of your lungs- and no one cares. It's like you don't even exist." He sighed.

"And how does that make you feel?" I was growing more curious.

"I feel...I feel adrift- floating- like someone's pulled the stopper on my reality and I'm sucked down the drain into something new. It's all very exciting really. You wouldn't know what that feels like, I'm sure." He waved me off.

"I...I might-actually. Can you tell me more about how this person makes you feel?" I got a strange feeling.

"It's like meeting someone I can actually relate to..which, believe me, dear, I've never felt before. You understand. You're someone who's not afraid to let go- and fall. Free falling. And I didn't pack a chute. Do you know what I mean?" He made me giggle.

"Yes. Yes I do!" I agreed.

"I figured you would." He smirked.

"So...may I ask- who is this person?" I had to know.

"Someone very, very special, but whose real name I don't even know yet." He hinted.

"My names Harleen. Harleen Quinzel." I stated.

"What a pretty name! Do your friends call you Harley?" He asked.

"Oh. I don't have a lot of friends." I said.

"Well Harley, you have one now." He grinned.

"I suppose you could think of me as your friend if it makes you more comfortable." I tried to stay professional.

"So, how'm I doin' doc?" He asked. "On the evaluation?"

"This is my first evaluation of you, so I'm not sure." I said. "But the evaluation is over, so you'll have to go to your cell now." I opened the door, where Cash, Batman, and the other guards were waiting. "He's all yours boys."

They hauled him off to his cell.

"Bye bye Harley!" He yelled.

Batman looked back at me before following the guards down the hall. I felt strange after meeting the Joker. Maybe his views on fate were true.


	4. Awkward Respect

**Chapter 4: Awkward Respect**

**Harley's POV**

I woke up to a ringing phone. I slowly walked over to it.

"Hello?" I yawned.

"Harleen!" Ma was on the other side. "I was so worried."

"About what?" I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"I heard you were in a room alone with the Joker." Ma said.

"Yeah, but he was strapped to a table. And I was just evaluating his mental state." I blinked the last of the sleep out of my eyes.

"I still worry." She sighed.

"I'm fine. It's not like I'm his regular doctor." I rolled my eyes.

"I guess I'll talk to you later." She said.

"Tell Barry and the monkeys I said hi. Bye Ma." I hung up.

I got ready and headed to work. When I got there, the lights in my small office were off. As soon as I turned them on, people were there.

"Surprise." They all said.

"Oh God. You scared me." I clutched my chest.

"Sorry." Dr. Leland smiled.

"Considering how often inmates escape and take hostages..." I took a deep breath.

Dr. Liew gave me a glass of what I assumed was alcohol. I was right, and I downed the glass.

"Sorry. We just thought you deserved to be recognized." Dr. Kellerman laughed.

"For what?" I asked.

"For being able to sit with the Joker for an hour without having been traumatized or injured." Dr. Whistler said.

"He really freaks me out." Dr. Cassidy agreed.

"Mike, get the cake." Dr. Elliot smiled.

"I made it." Dr. Chen bragged.

"Everyone else is afraid of him except you." Dr. Sterling clarified.

"So having an intern be this brave is pretty impressive." Dr. Kennedy agreed.

"Yeah, and we heard that you made major progress with Two-Face." Mike poured more wine.

"Just don't tell Jeremiah or Quincy about this. We're not supposed to drink on the job." Dr. Young smiled.

So we ate cake for the first hour of work. Then I had another interview with Two-Face. He sighed with relief as I gave him his coin.

"What do you want to talk about today?" I asked.

I'd been his doctor for a month at this point.

"I've been having these strange feelings lately. And the even stranger part is that my split personality agrees with me. I don't really understand it, but then again I do." He sighed.

"What kinds of feelings?" I questioned.

"Love, I think. It's strange how a person can make you feel so at peace with yourself. Especially when you have a sit personality that causes you to constantly argue with yourself." He looked confused.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"You don't want to know. Besides, I don't think she likes me, and she couldn't be with me even if she did." He seemed nervous.

"Why? And who is she?" I laughed.

"You." He muttered.

"What?" I was confused.

"You made the patient interviews feel like normal conversations, you gave me my coin, and you're the first person I've talked to about when my face got burned. You're so nice to me. You're just special." He suddenly got up.

He walked around my desk and went to his knees so he could kiss me. I was pretty much pinned down since I was in my chair. So I just pushed the button under my desk that would alert the security guards. It was definitely weird to be kissed by someone who only had half a face. The guards came rushing in and pulled him away from me. Cash confiscated the coin.

"Harleen! Please!" Two-Face shouted.

"What the hell just happened?" North interrogated.

"I'd rather not talk about it, so you'll just have to listen to the patient interview tape." I pushed the button to stop it from playing and handed it to him. "Here."

Then I sat down in my chair.

"Do you want him transferred?" Cash asked.

"I don't know right now. Can I just be left alone?" I requested.

"Sure." Franklin pulled Cash and North out of the room.

A couple of hours later, the guards came to my office with Scarecrow.

"He's new, so the doctors figured you could handle him. Especially since you were able to handle the Joker." Cash shrugged.

Scarecrow was seated in one of the chairs with his hands cuffed to it. It's one of those chairs that's bolted to the floor, so he wasn't getting up until the guards came for him.

"I'm Dr. Quinzel." I introduced myself.

"I know. I heard about you on your first day. I'm Dr. Crane." He seemed grumpy.

"Anything you want to talk about Dr. Crane?" I asked.

"How did you make Two-Face fall in love with you? He's only known you a month." He questioned.

It sounded like he was evaluating me. "In his speech, he mentioned something about how I was the only doctor who was nice to him, and how I gave him his coin back. Now can we talk about _you_, perhaps?"

"There's nothing to talk about Harleen. I no longer have a life since the University and the Asylum fired me and took away my research by locking me in here." He clenched his teeth.

I opened the door. "I think we're done here. He's all clammed up when it comes to his life."

"Fine with me." Cash said.

He and North hauled Scarecrow away. Two-Face was too much to handle, and Scarecrow had his own agenda. Maybe I should get a different patient. I had one in mind. I headed down the hall to the staff room. Mr. Arkham was there with Sharp.

"Mr. Arkham, may I make a request?" I asked.

"Yes?" He looked up.

"I'm not getting anywhere with Scarecrow, and although I made great progress with Two-Face, I think he's getting the wrong idea about the patient interviews. So I'd like to request a new patient. Perhaps the Joker?" I requested.

"The Joker? You want the most dangerous patient we have? You're only an intern!" Sharp exclaimed.

"But I'd like to become more. And I was making great progress with Two-Face until his setback today. And the Joker scares everyone else, but I'm not afraid. Please, Mr. Arkham." I begged.

"According to my copy of your records, Two-Face slowly fell in love with you, and the Joker seems interested in you. I don't belive it would be good for your safety. And I'm not sure if you might've caused the Two-Face setback on purpose." Mr. Arkham decided.

"I didn't. Besides, does his current doctor really want him?" I countered.

"No. She's been trying to transfer him. So I'll give him to you. But don't say I didn't warn you about the Joker." Mr. Arkham was reluctant.


	5. A Friend

**Chapter 5: A Friend**

**Harley's POV**

A couple of weeks after I had requested it, the Joker was sent to my office. The other doctors looked at me like I was insane, but they seemed to also respect me. The door suddenly opened and the Joker was dragged in as he wore a straitjacket. Then they cuffed his legs to the chair, and left me alone with him.

"Couldn't stay away, eh?" He smirked.

"I was having difficulty with my other patients, so I decided on a fresh start." I explained.

"What kind of trouble?" He seemed mildly curious.

"Scarecrow clammed up, and Two-Face attacked." I elaborated.

"Attacked?" He pried.

"More like pinned me down with a kiss. But I don't think he meant anything bad." I shrugged.

"Hmm." He seemed to ponder this.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Where does a doctor typically start? Childhood! Well, I was beaten by my father after my mother ran away with the milk man."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"Or was that the other way around? To be honest, that might not have happened at all." He said.

"I'm confused. Do you not remember your childhood?" I asked.

"Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another... if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" He laughed.

"You have the oddest laugh." I giggled.

"Too bad I don't know what yours sounds like. Sure, I know the giggle. But the laugh is the important one." He sighed.

"I suppose you'll just have to find a way to make me laugh." I smiled. "How about starting at a point you do remember?"

"The first thing I can remember is coming out of the vat of chemicals. I think I may have felt a sense of guilt and remorse for losing something important. Maybe more than one something. And I looked at a reflective piece of metal and saw pale skin, red lips, and green hair. It shocked me so much that something snapped. I killed the next man I saw." He described.

"Just like that?" I questioned.

"I told you, I had the life shocked out of me. Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away...forever." He elaborated.

"Interesting." I pondered the idea.

"But I suppose you'd have no reason to go mad." He said.

I don't know why, but he inspired me to talk about my family. I told him about how my father is a con artist, my brother's a deadbeat dad, and my Ma is the only tolerable one in my family. I also told him that I became a psychiatrist just to understand my family better.

"Sounds like you do have a reason to let yourself freefall into madness. But you obviously haven't." He cocked his head.

"And like I said last time, I don't have many friends." I sighed.

"I'd hug you and tell you that I'm your friend, but I'm a little strapped down at the moment." He nodded his head to the straitjacket.

"I don't know why everyone is so afraid of ya." I stated. "I know ya kill people, but otherwise ya don't seem that bad."

"Is that an accent I detect?" He smirked. "You said _ya_ instead of _you_."

"Oh. I'm from Bensonhurst, but I've been tryin' to drop the accent." I blushed.

"Why? I like it. Besides, it sounds like your lapsing anyway." He smiled.

His smile made my heart melt. "It's not very professional."

"So? Who likes professional people anyway?" He chuckled. "They're the ones I kill the most."

"Unfortunately, I think our time is up. But I look forward to seein' ya soon." I smiled.

"Me too." He grinned.

As the guards took him away, I wondered what it was about him that made me feel so comfortable.

**Joker's POV (Based on a confession that took place after Boles died)**

Boles walked over and stopped in front of my cell. "What do you want Joker?"

"Do me a favor and have Poison Ivy make me some roses. I think you'll find the seeds in the Botanical Gardens." I said.

"Why?" He looked at me skeptically.

"They're for a lady friend. Just give Ivy this note when you bring her the seeds. Then you'll bring the roses she gives you to me." I ordered.

"Fine." He agreed.

"Oh, and one more thing. Give this note to the Hatter." I grinned evilly.

**Poison Ivy's POV (Based on a confession)**

"Why would the Joker give me plants, and expect me to give him any?" I asked.

"He said to read the note." Boles walked away.

The note said: _Hey Ivy, I need the roses for a friend. I only need 12 though, so you can keep the rest. -Joker_

I got to work with the roses and hid the rosebush I made under my bed. Boles came back.

"Here. He wanted twelve." I handed Boles the roses.

He slipped away without a word.


	6. Big Gestures

**Chapter 6: Big Gestures**

**Harley's POV**

When I got to my office the next day, Dr. Leland was waiting for me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I just thought I should let you know, Jervis Tetch beat up Harvey Dent last night." She answered.

"Why?!" I exclaimed.

"He kept saying something about how Harvey was the one who was hiding Alice from him." She explained. "I wonder where he got that idea."

"Who knows? Honestly, the man thinks he's the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. His mind's not right." I said.

"I also heard that you're the Joker's new doctor. That's a pretty brave thing to do." She stated.

"He doesn't seem as hard to work with as everyone says." I shrugged.

"Well, either you're a really good doctor, or he's playing you. Either way, tread carefully." She suggested.

Then she left my office. I don't know why everyone doubts me. I'm doing just fine. An hour later, the Joker was in my office.

"Hey Harley, how's your day so far?" He said as the guards once again cuffed him to the chair.

They left not long afterward.

"Okay." I lied.

"Come on, tell me what's wrong." He offered.

"I just heard that the Hatter beat up Two-Face, and I think the other doctors doubt my abilities at treating you." I sighed.

"Two-Face deserved it. He attacked you, and I'd be thankful to whoever set Jervis on him if I were you." He suggested.

"I never said anybody set Jervis on him. Wait... did you have something to do with it?" I questioned.

"Maybe... I do like sending Jervis messages about Alice. And I despise Two-Face!" He cackled.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, you shouldn't have done that." I said.

"Fine, I'll admit it was over the top. How about I give you a safer gift in exchange for your forgiveness?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"What gift?" I asked.

"Reach into my sleeve. You'll have to unstrap an arm first, but you can strap it right back." He instructed.

I cautiously unstrapped one of his arms and reached into his sleeve. I pulled out a bundle of roses.

"Where'd ya get these?" I gasped.

"Oh, a favor from a friend. And you lapsed into that cute accent again." He smiled.

"I love roses." I admired how deep the red color was.

"Perfect. I like them too. They're the color of blood. Unless you get white or pink ones of course." He grinned.

"Thank you. I'll keep these in my office." I smiled.

"Wonderful!" He chuckled.

I strapped his arm back into the straitjacket and put the roses in a spare vase.

"So, anythin' you wanna talk about today?" I asked.

"Can I be honest with you? I want to talk about something important, but I don't want you to stop being my doctor. You're better than the other ones." He sighed.

"Of course." I smiled.

"I like you Harley. You're nice, friendly, and very pretty. We even have the same taste in flowers! And I just want to talk about my feelings towards you without you running for the hills." He smiled.

I turned red. "You like me?"

"Of course! You're very attractive and lovable." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Thanks. And I could still be your doctor. I just can't have a relationship with ya." I laughed nervously.

"I understand perfectly. And I look forward to seeing you during our sessions." He smiled.

"So, anything else you'd like to talk about?" I was getting goosebumps.

"Not that I can think of." He answered.

I looked down and saw a bulge in is ankle. I bent down and lifted his pant leg. There was a knife.

"Care to explain this?" I held it up.

"A gift from the friend I mentioned earlier. Can't be too careful in a place like this." He smirked.

"I'll just keep this in my desk." I put it in the drawer where I keep Two-Face's coin.

"Yes principal Harley." He chuckled.

There was another bulge in his pants. "What else are ya hidin' in your pants?"

"Nothing that qualifies as a weapon. Well, if we're speaking in terms of relationships, it's my _biggest_ weapoon!" He laughed.

"Oh." I turned red. "If we're not goin' ta talk about anythin' else, it's time for ya ta go."

"Bye bye Harley. I can't wait until next time." He grinned.

I opened the door. "He's all yours boys."

The guards dragged the Joker away as he laughed loud enough for all of Arkham to hear. What was I getting myself into?

**(A/N: A review would be greatly appreciated.)**


	7. Addiction & Conspiracy

**Chapter 7: Addiction & Conspiracy**

**Harley's POV**

Over the past few weeks, I've been asking the Joker to come into my office everyday. The guards just assumed he was so crazy that I thought he needed as much treatment as possible. The truth was, I liked talking to him. He was nice to me, he talked to me, and he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. He was being brought into my office with his straitjacket on, and the guards cuffed his feet to the chair.

"Hello Harley. Got anything fun to talk about?" He smiled.

"I should be asking you that." I said as the guards left.

"Well, we've already established that I can't remember anything before the vat of chemicas, my name might've been Jack White, and I like you. Not much else to say." He shrugged.

"Think of anything ya want." I suggested.

"Oh, I already do. But those aren't things I should say out loud, let alone to a lady." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"My eyes're up here." I blushed.

"I know, but the eyes aren't always the fun part. Especially since the eyes are windows to the soul, so there wouldn't be much mystery if I looked there." He smirked.

"Let's discuss something else." I was completely flushed.

"Alright. How about the fact that Jeremiah Arkham is the new Black Mask." He suggested.

"What? No he isn't." I scoffed.

"Yes he is. After Sionis 'died', Arkham took his place. He's gone as looney as Amadeus, and he's tried to kill us multiple times. Ask any of the high profile inmates. And do you really think I'd lie to you?" He grinned.

I had a feeling that he would, but he wasn't lying about Mr. Arkham. "How does he get away with it?"

"He runs this place. He can get away with anything. And there's something wrong with Alyce Sinner." He stated.

"Who else is corrupted?" I asked.

"They're not all corrupted towards Black Mask. I have a few guards working for me." He chuckled.

"Is Boles working for you or Mr. Arkham?" I questioned.

"Me." He chuckled.

"Why am I not surprised?" I sighed. "Do you have anything else to say? Because otherwise, this interview is unfortunately over."

"Nothing to say except that it would be funny if Jervis met Alyce." He cackled.

I opened the door. "We're done here."

The guards took the Joker away. I decided to take a break in the staff room.

"Hello Harleen, how's your progress with the Joker going?" Dr. Leland asked.

"Okay, I guess. But he's been sayin' some things that don't seem true. But seein' as how he can't remember anything before the chemical incident, I guess I should've expected it." I sighed as I took a piece of leftover cake out of the staff's fridge.

"Harleen, were you just using an accent?" Dr. Leland questioned.

"Oh, I've been tryin' ta get ridda my accent, but it's crept back over the past couple weeks. See, I'm from Bensonhurst, so I have a pretty thick New York accent." I explained.

"Oh. I didn't know you had an accent, or that you were trying to lose it." She shrugged.

"Then I guess I did a good job for a while there." I smiled.

"I suppose so. See you later Harleen." Dr. Leland started to walk away.

I noticed that she dropped some papers, but she was gone before I could return them. I picked them up and read the bold print at the top that said _Book Notes_. I looked at the rest of it, and it looked familiar. It was my patient interview notes on the Joker, and she had written things in the margin, like _perfect for book_, or _shows he's a pathological liar_. Dr. Leland was using my notes to write a book! Another note said _Harleen is either manipulating the patient into giving up information, or she's being used, and he's just giving her the information for fun. She seems interested in him in a romantic way_. I couldn't believe it. The only doctor I trusted was the doctor who was stealing my research and making fun of me! I ran back to my office with the notes, not intending to give them back. I heard a conversation coming from Mr. Arkham's office.

"If you keep my secret safe, I'll gladly let you experiment on the patients, Professor Strange." Mr. Arkham said.

_What?!_

"It's a deal. And please, call me Hugo." The other man replied. "No need to let the world know that you are Black Mask."

I continued running to my office and locked the door behind me. What the Joker said and worse was true. Mr. Arkham was Black Mask, and he was letting some professor experiment on the patients. Aren't they mentally damaged enough?! Not to mention that Dr. Leland was stealing my research. I needed to find a way to fix things. The cops wouldn't believe me without proof. I knew just the way to fix things. It was risky, and probably stupid, but what else could I do?

**(A/N: Virtual cookie awarded, Arleen.)**


	8. The First Breakout

**Chapter 8: The First Breakout**

**Harley's POV**

I went to work the next morning determined to fix things. I had planned everything the night before, and no one would suspect that I would cause what I was planning. I had borrowed a thumb drive from my friend Marty, and I would be using it to carry out part of my plan. While Mr. Arkham was in the staff room, I went into his office and used the thumb drive to hack into his computer. Then I downloaded all of the security codes for the Asylum. I also used his administrative privileges to look into Dr. Leland's computer files, and I deleted all of her copies of my research on the Joker. Then I found files in Mr. Arkham's computer on his business as Black Mask, and wiped them out as well. I also stole Mr. Arkham's security keycard, and shut down all the security cameras.

"Morning Harleen." Dr. Leland passed me in the hallway.

I ignored her and headed for the isolation unit. Frank Boles was standing guard at the entrance to isolation.

"Harleen." He greeted. "What brings you to isolation?"

"Mr. Arkham asked me to look in on Two-Face. I even have his keycard as insurance." I lied.

"Fine. He's stupid to send you in there though." Frank let me into the isolation unit.

It didn't take me long to find what I was looking for. One of the isolation cells was permanently marked _The Joker_. I used Mr. Arkham's keycard to open the cell.

"Harley?" The Joker looked up.

"I'll let you out on the condition that you attack Black Mask and Professor Strange, and you don't harm the doctors or rat me out." I stated.

"Fair enough." He grinned. "Got a plan?"

"Here." I handed him his knife. "And my only plan is you doing what I just said, and that you leave. I have the security codes, so I can sneak you out of the secret entrance."

"Perfect." He walked closer.

He was close enough for me to smell his breath. It oddly smelled like candy. My heart raced as he leaned closer until his mouth was on mine. At first I was nervous, but I slowly relaxed.

"Let's grab a few accomplices." He suggested.

He then proceeded to let out Poison Ivy.

"What do you want Joker?" She snapped.

She was really pretty. And I liked her red hair.

"Since you so kindly got me the roses I wanted, I'll give you a chance to escape the Asylum. Have fun." He laughed.

She rolled her eyes and walked out of her cell as a rosebush followed her. Then the Joker released Scarecrow and the Riddler.

"Scarecrow, go get your Fear Gas. And Riddler, distract Batman with your trophies if he shows up." Joker ordered.

Scarecrow laughed maniacally as he ran off somewhere. The Riddler crawled into a vent.

"Anyone else on the list?" Joker smiled.

"You said it would be funny if Alyce ever met Jervis." I suggested.

He grinned evilly as Boles ran in the room.

"Why is Scarecrow free?" Boles started. "Boss, what are you doing out of your cell?"

"This is a breakout Franky." Joker laughed. "Now could you get Dr. Sinner in here?"

"Dr. Sinner to isolation. I repeat, Dr. Sinner to isolation." Boles said into his radio.

Joker grabbed Boles in a headlock. "Gotta make it look like you're being held against your will. Harley, hide after you free Jervis."

I freed Jervis and hid myself in Joker's empty cell.

"Boles?" Alyce called.

"In here Alyce." Frank called back.

"Did you say Alice?" Jervis asked.

As soon as I heard the door open, Jervis could be heard jumping on her screaming, "Alice! You're all grown up!"

"Joker! Let Boles go and get this freak off of me!" Alyce demanded.

"Sorry dear, time for me to go." Joker started walking.

"Help! He-" Alyce was cut off with a thud.

"Jervis knocked her out, so come out Harley!" Joker yelled.

I walked out to see Boles knocking Jervis out with the butt of his gun. Then Joker knocked Boles out with the hilt of his blade.

"I can only take one hostage at a time until I can break my boys out." He shrugged.

Then he switched clothes with Boles and took his gun. While he was under Boles' helmet, you couldn't tell the difference. He had me follow him as he headed for the general population cells. We completely passed Cash and North because they thought the Joker was Boles.

"Time to party boys!" He shouted.

Then he used the keycard to do the emergency unlock on all the cells. The inmates shouted and cheered.

"And she's our inside woman, so no rough treatment and no ratting her out." He yelled.

"Yes sir!" They shouted back.

He gave them all orders on what to do before completely taking me and a group of the inmates out the door with him. His helmet was off, so the guards recognized him, but they couldn't say anything before a gang of the Joker's men beat them and dragged them off somewhere. He put me in a headlock so he could pretend I was his hostage. Then we headed for the staff room where all the doctors, Sharp, and Mr. Arkham were gathered.

"Sharpy! Black Mask! Good to see you boys!" Joker exclaimed.

"Black Mask?" Mr. Arkham played dumb.

"Harleen? He took you hostage?" Dr. Leland looked surprised.

"He found out that you were using my notes on him for a book, and he thought I was in on it." I lied.

"Naughty girls." He played along.

"You stole another doctor's research for a book?" Sharp looked at her pointedly.

"And now Harley's in danger. And she really liked you. She brought you up a lot during our sessions. Nothing but positive remarks." Joker laughed. "Poor Harley."

"Why do you keep calling her Harley?" Dr. Young questioned.

"Come on, Harleen Quinzel. Harley Quinn. Harlequin. Keep up on your clown references. And she didn't seem bothered by the nickname." He cackled.

"Actually, after the birthday where my pop dressed up as a clown, kids started making the same joke and called me clown girl." I admitted. "But I knew you weren't using it as an insult."

"Sorry dear. Too late for a nickname change though." He shrugged.

"I'm so sorry Harleen." Dr. Leland apologized.

Then the Joker knocked Mr. Arkham out and did the same to Sharp. After that, he dragged me out and we left.


	9. The Hideout

**Chapter 9: The Hideout**

**Harley's POV**

The Joker took me to his hideout after the breakout was over. We were in the Sionis Steel Mill. Since Roman Sionis was dead, that meant the Joker could take his Steel Mill and turn it into a hideout. There were clown pictures and paintings and graffiti all over the walls. The loading bay was used as the Joker's office.

"What do you think dear? Place look spiffy enough?" He laughed.

"Why didn't you just release me?" I asked.

"Does releasing a hostage sound like something I'd do? No, I either kill them or kidnap them. The only way they're ever released is if Batman saves them." He cackled.

"So, how long will I stay here?" I wondered.

"Until Bats finds my hideout. He always does." He sighed wistfully.

There were monitors right behind us that were watching different parts of the Steel Mill and monitoring the heart rates of the Joker's men. A dark figure suddenly swooped in and knocked out one of the guards outside.

"Right on cue." Joker chuckled. "You'll have to sit with me and let me point the knife at you if you don't want to get caught."

So I sat on his lap as he pointed the knife at me. We watched as Batman took down the guards, and the Joker tried to give last minute instructions to his men.

"Only a few of you left." Joker would say. "Aw Bats, why you gotta get rid of all my men?"

Finally, Batman took out the guards just outside the door to the Joker's office. Then he walked in.

"Bats, you made it! Well, let's get down to the rules of the game. The only rule is, don't come any closer or she'll get stabbed, and my boys will die of electricution." He gestured to the knife and a remote he was holding.

"Why her? From what the other doctors said, she's the only one who's willing to work with you. And that usually indicates that you have an opportunity to make someone work for you." Batman questioned his motives.

"Exactly. She's special." He cackled. "But she's just too goody two-shoes to work for me."

"Let her go and I won't hurt you." Batman threatened.

Maybe the reason the other doctors find him so attractive is because of the damsel in distress situation. As attractive as that normally is, I don't want to be someone's damsel.

"Try it. And I'll kill her." He threatened.

Batman called his bluff and rushed forward. The Joker stabbed me on the back side of my shoulder. _He stabbed me in the back! _Batman grabbed me, knocked the Joker over, and knocked him out.

"I'm sorry Dr. Quinzel. I didn't think he'd do it. Your patient interviews implicated that he had a romantic interest in you." Batman sat me in a chair. "Let me help you stop the bleeding in your shoulder. He missed your vital organs, so you should live."

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. You're too nice." I sighed. "What about the electrocuted Joker gang?"

"I knocked the remote out of his hand before he pressed the button. Besides, looks like it's faulty." He said.

"Thanks. You're a real hero." I said as he finished patching my shoulder.

"I suppose so." He looked pained about something.

It was just the way his mouth curved.

"Have you ever lost someone to a criminal?" I asked.

"A long time ago. Before I was Batman." He admitted.

"Who were you before you were Batman?" I questioned.

"No one important." He replied. "I think we've both had a bad day, so let's leave before the cops ask you questions, or someone wakes up."

"Nice guys like you shouldn't have bad days." I kissed him.

"Come on. I'll take you to your apartment before I meet the cops." He offered.

"So, are the cops gonna ask me a lotta questions?" I followed him to the window.

Batman turned and I followed his line of sight. The Joker was gone.

"They know what they need to. But especially now that he's on the loose, they'll be guarding your apartment." He sighed.

Then he grabbed me and used some high-tech grappling hook to send us flying upward before it released and we started gliding. We glided through the city, ocassionally using the grappling hook. The view was beautiful from up here. You couldn't even see whatever thugs were probably roaming around Gotham. It was almost as if Gotham had no crime whatsoever. Until an abandoned building blew up.

"Arent you going to get that?" I asked.

"Robin and Nightwing have got it." He said.

Sure enough, two figures headed for the building. We finally made it to my apartment window.

"Oracle, tell Gordon I took Dr. Quinzel to her apartment, and he needs to send a police car over." He seemed to be talking into something in his cowl. "Will you be alright until the police car gets here?"

"I have a key to my apartment window. I should be fine." I said.

With that said, he took off into the night. I just unlocked the window and got into my apartment.


	10. Who Really Cares?

**Chapter 10: Who ****_Really_**** Cares?**

**Harley's POV**

I woke up to someone knocking at my door. I groggily trudged to open the door.

"Harleen, are you okay?!" Ma hugged me.

"Ma?" I yawned.

"How's your shoulder?" Barry looked at it.

My bandages were visible because I was wearing a tank top. "It got stabbed. How do you think it is?"

"So you know these people?" Officer Branden asked.

"Yes. They're my family." I led them to the couch.

"Are you okay? We heard you were kidnapped and taken hostage by the Joker." Ma brushed my hair out of my face.

"I'm fine. How are my monkeys?" I redirected the conversation.

"We sent Jenny and Nicky to stay with their moms." Barry answered.

"But we're concerned about you..." Ma started.

"I was saved by Batman, and there are cops outside to protect me." I sighed.

Then I turned on the TV to change the subject, and I gasped. The story of me being kidnapped was airing on the news, and the picture on the screen was of when I kissed Batman. Then it stopped being a picture and moved as if someone had videotaped it.

"The news chopper shined a light in the window, and we got this." Jack Ryder laughed.

"So, does this mean Dr. Quinzel captured Batman's heart? Or does it mean she took the world's greatest detective by surprise? Maybe we'll find out." Vicki Vale reported.

"You kissed Batman?!" Barry exclaimed.

Ma just looked confused.

"Just leave so I can rest up. I want to go back to work tomorrow." I was exasperated.

"You shouldn't go back to work! You were kidnapped there!" Ma exclaimed.

"They can't possibly pay you enough to go back. How much do they pay you, by the way?" Barry asked.

"Enough to go back. They know how much physcal risk is involved, so they pay double what most jobs pay, and in the psychiatric world, that's saying a lot." I rolled my eyes.

"Then could you lend me some money..." Barry started.

"Barry!" Ma exclaimed.

"No. Now leave." I can't believe he's asking me that now.

"But..." Barry protested.

"Leave." I said sternly.

Barry busted up laughing. "I can't take you seriously."

I knocked him over with a push. "In case you forgot, I took gymnastics in high school and know how to defend myself. Defensive moves can also be used as offensive moves."

"Fine. Good luck with being the Bat's damsel in distress." He got up and headed for the door.

I grabbed the closest thing to me and threw it. A hammer landed two inches from Barry's head, stuck in the wall.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Barry exclaimed as he left.

I put my head in my hands and lean back against the couch. I could feel Ma's arms wrap around me.

"Be safe. I have to take him home." She kissed my head.

"Bye Ma." I sniffled.

Then I buried myself in the couch. I felt a hand touch my back.

"I thought you left Ma." I sniffled.

"I'm not your Ma, and I'm not leaving." A familiar voice chuckled.

I jumped up and saw the Joker. Before I could scream, he put his hand over my mouth.

"Calm down. All I want is some answers. For instance, why'd you kiss Batman? Or where'd ya learn to throw like that?" He gestured to the hammer.

"You literally stabbed me in the back! Do you really think I want to answer any of your questions?!" I exclaimed.

"I think you will." He squeezed my damaged shoulder. "Besides, I avoided your vital organs for a reason."

I winced. "It was a heat of the moment thing with Batman. And if you'd been paying attention, I said I knew how to defend myself. How long have you been here anyway?"

"Since just after you got here. You forgot to relock your window." He grinned. "Now, do you really think I'd try to kill someone who I could use to my advantage for inside jobs at Arkham?"

"You say you've been here since last night. Then why didn't you ask if I was okay? Or reveal yourself? My family came all the way from Bensonhurst to check on me." I questioned.

"Because I knew the cops were coming. And do you think they _really_ care about you? Your brother just asked you for money, and your mother left when things got tough. At least _I'm_ not planning on just leaving you. Unless the cops bus down the door!" He cackled.

"Barry's stupid, and Ma doesn't want to lose him until he can get a steady job." I defended them.

"So she's ditching you because you already have a job?" He countered.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I growled.

"I told you, you're special." He kissed me.

A couple of hours later, I was naked under my covers, and he was leaving out the window.

"See you later Harley." He chuckled as he left.

I cried at first. Then I was confused, wondering if I loved him or not. I considered that I might have Stockholm Syndrome. I wasn't sure. Then I had a moment of what felt like clarity. It gave me a crazy, potentially stupid idea. I had to do something. I got in the shower and got dressed when I came out. Then I walked out my front door.

"Where are you going Dr. Quinzel?" Officer Branden asked.

"I just need to run a few errands. You can come if you'd like." I said calmly.

So he drove behind me as I headed for the mall. He was constantly 30 feet behind me as I looked through all of the stores. I had a lot of money saved up, so what I was about to do wasn't a big deal. I bought a bunch of new clothes, then I went looking for something special. I found it in a halloween store that was open year-round. Next to a clown costume was a harlequin costume.

"How much for the red and black harlequin costume?" I asked the cashier.

"Not much. Ever since the Joker appeared, no one's wanted the clown themed outfits. So they're all on sale." He sighed.

"I'll take it. I just need to see if it's my size first." I said.

He smiled and showed me to the dressing room. It was definitely my size. The perfect fit. I bought it and made sure Branden couldn't see the costume. Then I drove to a car dealership.

"What are you looking for today mam?" The salesman smiled.

"How about trading my car for a bike of equal value." I suggested.

I had a pretty nice red convertible. So I figured I could get a good bike.

"I believe this bike is of equal value to that nice of a car." The salesman gestured to a great bike.

"What kind is it?" I asked to be sure.

"A Harley Davidson. The Sorkin model." He answered.

"Perfect." I grinned.

I switched keys with the dealer, signed a few papers, and we shook on it. Then I headed to my car, got everything that was mine out of it before the salesman took it, and headed for Branden.

"Do you think you could carry my stuff in the back of the police car? I just got a smaller vehicle." I smiled.

"Sure, but could I ask you something Dr. Quinzel?" He frowned.

"What?" I sighed.

"This morning, you seemed semi-okay. Then when you wanted to leave, you looked different. You seemed sad. And you went on a shopping spree, and switched cars. Why?" He questioned.

"I'd rather not talk about it Branden. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway. Thanks for caring though." I surprised him with a hug.

"Of course. Do you need anything else Dr. Quinzel?" He regained his composure.

"No thanks." I said.

So he followed me home as I weaved through traffic.

"You know, I'd normally arrest people for the way you drove today." Branden helped me carry my stuff.

"Sorry." I opened the apartment door.

"Thinking of repainting?" He put down two paint buckets.

"Something like that." I put a new combination lock on my window.

It was made of the hardest metal you could get, so that would hopefully protect me.

"See you Dr. Quinzel." Branden walked out.

"Thanks Branden." I half-smiled.

On the news, I saw that theJoker had been captured.

"Wait until you figure out what happened to Dr. Quinzel." Joker laughed hysterically.

The news was live, and Batman rushed off suddenly. Within minutes, there was a knock at my door.

"You look okay, so what happened?" Batman sighed with mild relief.

"I don't want to talk about it." I tried to turn away.

Batman walked in and closed the door behind him before dragging me over to the couch. "What happened?"

"Apparently, he was in my apartment since last night. He didn't reveal himself until after my family left, he asked me a couple of questions about why I kissed you, and he violated me for a couple of hours before he left out the window." I trusted Batman.

"What exactly do you mea by violate? You look unharmed..." His eyes widened in realization. "I can take you somewhere safe. You'll just have to keep your eyes closed so that you don't compromise my security."

That did sound safe. "Can I bring a few things? Including a bike I was going to work on?"

"Hurry. We need to leave. I'll send for the Batmobile." He agreed.

I stuffed all the things i had just bought into one bag and got my motorcycle.

"You said you were going to work on this?" Batman noticed how new it looked.

"Needs a better color scheme." I was vague.

As soon as I was in the Batmobile, Batman blindfolded me. We were driving at speeds that I was guessing were illegal. But Gordon wouldn't be giving Batman a ticket. We finally pulled up somewhere and he walked me somewhere. He took the blindfold off and I blinked.

"Where are we?" It looked like an interrogation room, but it had a bed.

"A room in the Batcave. It's kind of like a panic room. Only Nightwing, Robin, anyone else who works with me, and I can get in. Just stay here tonight." He said.

I noticed there were two doors, and my bike was already in the room. "Why two doors?"

"One's to get out, and the other is a bathroom." He gestured to each door when he explained them. "This is the first time I've done this, but you need the protection."

"Thanks." I hugged him.

He left and I got to work on my bike, not to mention what I snuck in with the bike.


	11. Harley Quinn

**Chapter 11: Harley Quinn**

**Harley's POV**

I finished repainting the bike and my mallet-sized hammer to look like the harlequin outfit before I went to bed. My watch went off at 6:00 a.m. and I gathered my stuff to leave. I left the paint in the room, and dragged everything else out. I wandered around until I found an exit that led to a wooded area. I finally found a road, but I couldn't tell you exactly where I was. Then I drove until I got to the security gate at Arkham Asylum. I hid the bike in the bushes, and snuck through the security gate. I was wearing he harlequin outfit with makeup, so no one would recognize me. I narrowly avoided security and stopped near the staff room.

"Poor Harleen. Being attacked by the Joker like that. I wouldn't blame her if she quit." Dr. Young seemed concerned. "Someone should go see her, or send her something."

"She hasn't called in to quit yet." Sharp pointed out.

"She might be too injured to do it." Mike sounded like he was rolling his eyes.

"At least she was lucky enough to kiss Batman." Dr. Cassidy tried to brighten the mood.

"She was stupid to request such a high profile patient so early. She should've stuck with Two-Face, or Scarecrow, or sitting in on Dr. Leland's patients. And from what I read in her patient interviews, it sounded like she was romantically interested in the Joker. The way she said _Although their crimes are horrible, there seems to be an element of glamour among these super criminals_." Mr. Arkham scoffed.

"I'm just sorry I got her into trouble with the Joker. I should never have tried to use her research for that book." Dr. Leland sounded guilty.

I kept going to the isolation unit. Boles was there again. I walked forward.

"I've never heard of a freak breaking into Arkham Asylum before." Boles snickered.

"I ain't no freak." I hit him over the head with my hammer.

Then I stole his keys and walked into the isolation unit. I unlocked the Joker's cell, fully prepared to hammer his brains out.

"Who are you?" He grinned up at me.

"Someone who'll finally get revenge on ya. Makes my life and the Bat's job easier." I clenched my teeth.

"Harley? Is that you?" He laughed. "Oh, this is perfect."

"Why can't you pigs take me seriously?!" I had an angry staccato.

"Asks the woman in a jester outfit. Or do you prefer harlequin outfit?" He chuckled.

"You're a clown, and they take you seriously." I argued.

"Because I built up a reputation. You have to build up a reputation before you can be taken seriously." He smirked.

"Prepare to have your brains hammered out. Any last words?" I lifted it over my head.

"I love you, I'm sorry, and I can help you build up a reputation." He wiggled his eyebrows.

I don't remember exactly what happened, but I'm guessing that those words set off a major case of Stockholm Syndrome. I helped him get out of the isolation unit and ended up in the staff room.

"Who are you?" The doctors asked.

"The name's Harley Quinn." I held my hammer threateningly.

"Want me to kill Dr. Leland, Harley?" The Joker offered.

"No. Although I wouldn't be opposed to whatever ya do to Black Mask and Alyce." I redirected his attention.

"Harleen?" Dr. Leland recognized me. "Your accent..."

"Ain't Harleen the girl you murered yesterday?" I looked at the Joker.

"Murdered?" He raised an eyebrow.

"She died after ya raped her yesterday." It was symbolically true.

"Really? I had no idea." He laughed.

"Harleen..." Dr. Leland started.

"I ain't Harleen, I'm Harley!" I exclaimed.

"Harley, why did Harleen die when the Joker... raped her? She could've chosen another path. Maybe gone to a place where other victims go." Dr. Leland suggested.

"The thing is, she had already built up depression and anxiety from everythin' else in her life, so the Joker was just the icin' on the cake. The thing that pushed her over the edge. There was no other path. And she can't look back now." I shuddered. "And she might have a little too much Stockholm Syndrome."

"Please Harley, go back to being Harleen. We'll pretend this never happened." Dr. Leland promised.

"It's too late. Black Mask aka Mr. Arkham already pushed the emergency button that sends the police. And he would've done it even if he'd heard your offer first. I'm about ta be arrested." Everything seemed surreal.

"You idiot! I was getting through to her! Just change out of the outfit, and at least the doctors will pretend this never happened. We'll deny anything Mr. Arkham says. Just be Harleen Quinzel again." Dr. Leland begged.

"Too late." I could hear the sirens.

Then I felt something hard, heard a few screams, and everything went black.

"Harleen." Someone said.

I opened my eyes to see Dr. Leland and Batman standing over me. "What..."

"The Joker knocked you out when he thought you were going to betray him." Dr. Leland tried to get hair out of my face. "You have a mild concussion."

"Harleen, if you let the cops put you in Arkham Asylum until you get better, they'll drop all charges and make sure none of this goes on your record." Batman sighed.

"Send me to Blackgate. I don't want to be near the Joker." I panicked.

"I understand, but their not going to put you close to the Joker. They'll put you in a secret room connected to Dr. Leland's office. That way he can't find you if he escapes. And they specifically want Dr. Leland to treat you." Batman said.

"Fine. How long has it been since I passed out?" I asked as I choked back a sob.

"A couple of hours." Dr. Leland answered.

"Has it hit the media?" I questioned.

"No, we're trying to avoid that." Batman replied.

"Good. I'll try to get better." I promised.

And if anyone knows me, you should know by now that I broke that promise. I worked with the Joker a while, then I met Poison Ivy officially and worked with her for a while. Then I went back and forth between them. Now I know what they mean when they call it _Mad Love_.


	12. Epilogue

**Chapter 12: Epilogue**

**Batman's POV**

"That was the answer the entire time. Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe even Battered-Person Syndrome. The point is, she diagnosed herself, but they're not treating her for that. They're treating her for countless other diseases, which is only making her worse." I said.

"Get away you stupid pig!" Harley exclaimed.

A cop had lifted her shirt so that she couldn't see and her arms were stuck. All the cops laughed except Gordon and Branden.

"Stop!" I said. "Leave her alone. She might be a criminal, but she's still a woman."

I walked over and pulled her shirt back down.

"Thanks Bats. That kind of thing is the only thing I can count on ya for anymore." She sighed.

"Harley, are you taking the wrong medication?" I asked.

"Was that an insult?" She growled.

"No. I think the Arkham doctors give you the wrong medication and make your condition worse." I said.

"Dr. Leland might've mentioned that she was bein' forced ta give me the wrong meds. So?" She shrugged.

"So, you might stop doing things that get you arrested if you weren't taking the wrong medication. You also probably wouldn't get beaten and injured on a regular basis." I clarified.

"So tell the Arkham administration. Sharpy's the one who tells her to medicate me. And Strange used to do it too." She sighed.

"Gordon, you should have Sharp arrested. Strange is already taken care of." I suggested.

"The judges have been waiting to pin something on him, so I should get a warrant pretty quickly." Gordon agreed.

**3 months later...**

After Sharp was arrested and Harley stopped taking the wrong medication, she gradually got better.

"So she's mentally sane now?" I asked.

"Unless she's become a good actress, I believe so. She finally understood what was wrong with her situation, and she seems like she won't be a public threat anymore." Dr. Leland confirmed.

We walked to Harley's cell, where she had just finished changing into normal clothes. They were still red and black, but they were normal.

"So, I can really leave? No tricks?" Harley checked.

"No tricks." Dr. Leland smiled.

"You've been declared mentally sane." I smirked.

"Good. And I still don't wanna be called Harleen. It's Harley." Harley said.

"That's fine." Dr. Leland agreed.

"Harley sounds better. But you'll never get a psychology license again." I told her.

"I don't care." Harley grinned as we escorted her out.

"Are there any threats to her mental health?" I asked as Harley drove away.

"Poison Ivy could be a threat to her moral health, but not her mental health." Dr. Leland sighed. "But we have to give Harley a chance."

A few months later, I heard that Harley was helping Poison Ivy save the plants. But Harley did it by convincing people to go green, while Ivy continued to steal plants. Harley found the perfect way to help Ivy without turning back to crime. That was fine. But I'd go after her if she crossed the line into illegal activities.

**(A/N: I don't know why people don't review Arlene. They never do on my Batman stories. I only ever get one review per story. I don't like leaving them unfinished though, so I continue anyways.)**


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